Get the confidence and math skills you need to get started with calculus Are you preparing for calculus? This hands-on workbook helps you master basic pre-calculus concepts and practice the types of problems you'll encounter in the course. You'll get hundreds of valuable exercises, problem-solving shortcuts, plenty of workspace, and step-by-step solutions to every problem. You'll also memorize the most frequently used equations, see how to avoid common mistakes, understand tricky trig proofs, and much more. Pre-Calculus Workbook For Dummies is the perfect tool for anyone who wants or needs more review before jumping into a calculus class. You'll get guidance and practical exercises designed to help you acquire the skills needed to excel in pre-calculus and conquer the next contender-calculus.* Serves as a course guide to help you master pre-calculus concepts* Covers the inside scoop on quadratic equations, graphing functions, polynomials, and more* Covers the types of problems you'll encounter in your coursework With the help of Pre-Calculus Workbook For Dummies you'll learn how to solve a range of mathematical problems as well as sharpen your skills and improve your performance.

Table of Contents

Introduction. Part I: Setting the Foundation: The Nuts and Bolts of Pre-Calculus. Chapter 1: Beginning at the Very Beginning: Pre-Pre-Calculus. Chapter 2: Real Numbers Come Clean. Chapter 3: Controlling Functions by Knowing Their Function. Chapter 4: Searching Roots to Get the Degree. Chapter 5: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions. Part II: Trig Is the Key: Basic Review, the Unit Circle, and Graphs. Chapter 6: Basic Trigonometry and the Unit Circle. Chapter 7: Graphing and Transforming Trig Functions. Part III: Digging into Advanced Trig: Identities, Theorems, and Applications. Chapter 8: Basic Trig Identities. Chapter 9: Advanced Identities. Chapter 10: Solving Oblique Triangles. Part IV: Poles, Cones, Variables, Sequences, and Finding Your Limits. Chapter 11: Exploring Complex Numbers and Polar Coordinates. Chapter 12: Conquering Conic Sections. Chapter 13: Finding Solutions for Systems of Equations. Chapter 14: Spotting Patterns in Sequences, Series, and Binomials. Chapter 15: Previewing Calculus. Part V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 16: Ten Uses for Parent Graphs. Chapter 17: Ten Missteps to Avoid in Pre-Calculus. Index.

About the Author

Yang Kuang, PhD, is a professor of mathematics at Arizona State University. Michelle Rose Gilman is the co-author of Pre-Calculus For Dummies.